India Monk Bodhi dharm was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th Century and is traditional credited as the leading patriarch and transmitter of ZEN (chinese;chan,sanskrite;dhyna)to China. He was the third son of a Tamil King of the Pallava Dynasty.According to Chinese Legend,he also began the physical training of the SHAOLIN MONKS that led to the creation of SHAOLINQUAN.MARTIAL ARTS historians have shown this Legend stems from a17th Century qigong manual known as the YIJIN JING.

Shaolin Master

Bodhi dharma was born a prince of the pallava dynasty in their capital of Kanchipuram scholars have concluding his plase of birth to be Kanchipuram in Tamilnadu,South INDIA. After becoming a Budhist Monk,Bodhidharma traveled to China.the accounts differ on the date of his arrival,to the liang dynasty(500-557) Bodhidharma was primarilly active in the lands of the Northern WEI Dynasty(386-534),modern scholarship dates him to about the early 5th Century.

About Bodhidharma have become popular Legends,Which are still being used in the CHAN and ZEN – Tradition. Bodhidharma”s teachings and practice centered on Meditation and the lankavathara sutra Throught Budhist art,Bodhidharma is depicted as arather ill-tempered,profusely bearded and wide- eyed barbian,He is referred as the Blu-eyed Barbarian in Chinese Chan texts. in the 7th Century historical work further Biographies of eminent monks(XU gaoseng zhuan),Daoxuan (596-667) possibly drew on tanlin”s preface as abasic source,but made several significant additions.

Zen Damo

Firstly, Daoxuan adds more detail concerning Bodhidharma”s origins,writing that he was of “South Indian Brahman stock”nan tianzhu poluomen zhong.

Secondlys Tanlin”s originals is imprecise about Bodhidharma’s travels,saying only that he “crossed distant Mountains and seas”before arriving in WEI.Daoxuan”s account,however,implies” a specific itinerary” He first arrived at nan-yueh during the sung period.from ther he turned north and came to the kingdom of Wei this implies that Bodhidharma had travelled to China by sea,and that he had crossed over the Yangtze River.

Bodhidharma

thirdly,Daoxuan provides information concerning Bodhidharma”s death .Bodhidharma, he writes,died at the banks of the Luo River,where he was interred by his disciple HUIKE,Possibly in a Cave According to Daoxuan:s Chronology,Bodhidhama”sdeath must have occurred prior to 534,the date of the Northern Wei Dynasty”s fall,because Huike subsequently leaves Luoyang fo ye, further more,citing the share of the Luo River as the place of death might possibly suggest that bodhidharma died in the mass executions at Heyin in 528.

Damo Monk

In the Anthology at the patriarchal Hall of 952.the elements of the traditional Bodhidharma story are in place.Bodhidharma is said to have been a disciple of prajnatara,thus establishing the latter as the 27th patriarch in INDIA.After athree year journey,Bodhidharma reaches China in 527 during the Liang Dynasty(as opposed to the song period of the 5th Century,as in Daoxuan)the anthology of the patriarchal hall includes Bodhidharma”sencounter with Emperar WU,Which was first,recorded around 758 in the appendix to a text by shen-hui,a disciple of Huineng.